The Chet Edwards Energy Future Holdings Tennis Match is Love-Love

Back and forth go the volleys of favors between Chet Edwards and the utility corporation called Energy Future Holdings. It’s like watching a tennis game, minus the short white skirts.

A visit to the Sunlight Foundation’s Political Party Time reveals only the latest whiffer to cross the net that separates corporations from politicians: a breakfast party thrown today in Chet Edwards’ honor. Seen out of context, it’s an odd event to be thrown in the Energy Future Holdings corporate offices. Why the honorifics for this man? Why the request that attendees pull out their checkbooks? It’s not like Chet Edwards is a power source this power company can plug into or anything, is he?

In the context of the political game going on, the event makes perfect sense: Edwards is a high-ranking member of the Energy and Water Resources Appropriations subcommittee.
Energy Future Holdings wants a pollution waiver for its dirty-coal power plants and to expand its Comanche nuclear power plant. Edwards is looking for monetary contributions to sustain his re-election campaign. Energy Future Holdings and a lobbying firm under its employ have been two of the top five contributors to Chet Edwards’ campaigns for two years running. Edwards comes out in favor of pollution exemptions for EFH’s plants and in favor of the expansion of EFH’s nuclear enterprise. And then comes the fundraising breakfast held at EFH’s expense.

Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong.

Why, you could hurt your neck with the strain of trying to follow the ball too closely.